Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-23

of Agriculture. This was adopted
% to 20. The bill was put upon its
second reading and passed by vote OF
% TO -. The Senate then took up as
the special order, on its third reading,
the bill to allow counties TO take
conyicts from the penitentiary for use
in working the public roads, upon con-
dition that the counties pay for the
maintenance of such convicts and pro-
vide safe and suitable stockades for
them. This bill passed its second
reading last week and violent opposi-
ton to it arose. The debate was pro-
longed and warm to-day.
HOUSE.
The House to-day passed bills to in
corporate the Wilmington and Seacoast
railway to amend the insurance law
so as 20 allow floating or blanket poll
cies on cotton without requiring speci-
fications as to weights, numbers, and
marks to allow the Raleigh Savings
Bank to begin operations at once to
grant fifty convicts to construct turn
pike road in Madison county, such con-
victs to be furnished free of charge by
the State. The bill to prevent fraud in
elections was taken up and passed. The
bill defining ten hours az a days work
was tabled. The bill to reduce the
appropriation to the State University
was made the special order for
next Thursday. The bill TO repeal the
appropriation of $4,000 made by the
last Legislature to the University was
taken up, but it was agreed that it
should go over till tomorrow, and
then come up at the same time as the
bill to abolish free scholarships, which
is the special order for tomorrow. The
bill to prohibit the sale of spirituous
liquors outside of Incorporated cities
andiowns, introduced to cover the en-
tire State and modified by the COM
mittee so as to apply only to Swain
county, was taken mp. An amendment
was adopted including the counties of
Mecklenburg, Dare, Jackson, and
Greene in the provision of the bill,
which then passed its second and third
readings.
POLITICAL.
The bill was then taken up to so
amend the law as to require boards OF
county commissioners to- appoint as
judges of election only such persons as
are recommended by the chairmen OF
the Democratic and Republican parties.
The Democrats opposed this bill, which
was introduced by negro Republican
named Wimberly. A motion to table
was lost, and then the Republicans and
Independents took charge of things
and voted down amendment after
amendment exempting certain counties
from the provisions of the bill. The
Republicans said that as things. now
are the Democratic boards of commits
sioners appoint intelligent Democrats
and ignorant negroes as judges of cleo
ton, and thus easily cheat the Repub-
hcans out of votes.
NEW COUNTY.
This afternoon the Committee on
Counties held an important meeting to
consider the question of the formation
Of the new county Of Ellington out OF
portions of Rowan, Iredell, and Neck
lenburg counties. Leazar, of Iredell,
was the champion of the bill, and Over
man, of Rowan, its chief opponent.
Able speeches were made. A petition
was presented for the new county having
1900 signatures, and one against 1t
having 1000 signatures was also pre-
sented.
Richmond Parsons county-govern-
ment bill was to-day made the special
order for next Thursday by the House.
Mr.. York, Republican leader, says it
will certainly pass the House.
FELL DEAD.
This morning James S. HARDWOOD, a
well known resident of Raleigh, fell
dead on one of the principal streets.
BE was printer and an ex-Confederate
soldier, having served during the entire
war in Manly's battery. He leaves a
wife and five children.
THE LAST BATTLE OF THE WAR.
The last engagement of any i'm
rortance Of the late war was that at
EentOnville, in Johnston county, where
Shermans forces met those of John
ston, and there was deadly struggle.
Raleigh had been fortified, and the in
tention was that the last stand should
be made here, but that intention was
abandoned, apparently, Mt almost the
last moment. The battlefield of Ben
tonyille has been all these wears I'M
marked, but last year it was decided to
erect a monument there in commemo-
ration of the closing scene of the long
fight. So funds were collected, and
now a monument has been ordered-a
simple shaft of granite, with a plain
but fitting inscription.
FENCE OR NO FENCE.
Things are in a nice condition in
Buncombe. county. People are all at
skies and sevens. And it all grows out
of the trivial question of fence or no
fence. Why is it that any discussion
of this question invariably causes a
row? 1t is so everywhere. 1t is so in
the Legislature. And yet it is simply
q revolt by impractical, unprogressive
people against an old custom which in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred has
nothing to commend it. 1t is simply
and solely relinquishing an antique,
costly system, which has wasted mil
lions of acres of timber and imposed a
task upon the farmers ever since the
country was settled, for a perfectly
simple and convenient plan-that of
fencing in the cattle instead OF the
farms.
SENATOR vANCE's DOUBLE.
Yesterday acountryman came into the
Senate chamber, and casting a glance
around said, "Why. there's old Zeb.
Vance /" Some one asked "Where ?"
" Why, right there -; and he pointed
towards Senator Shober, who just at
that moment was leaning back in his
chair. Certainly the resemblance be-
tween the genial senator from Rowan
and the beloved Zeb. is remarkable.
Both have the same look out OF the eyes,
save that Vance's eyebrows are more
both have the same profuse-
ness of snow-white hair and moustache,
and really they are so much alike that
the countryman's idea is not ut all odd.
THE MEXICAN VETERANS.
The two hundred and odd veterans
r Al ..r.4l. AE,w.o> x,.Ia ora untV IN